International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management 323

Volume-2, Issue-4, April-2019

www.ijresm.com | ISSN (Online): 2581-5792

Electric Vehicle Chassis Design and Structural

Analysis by using CAD and CAE Techniques
D. Arun1, D. V. Paleshwar2, K. Sainath3
1
Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sreyas Inst. of Engg. & Tech., Hyderabad, India
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sreyas Inst. of Engg. & Tech., Hyderabad, India
3
Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sreyas Inst. of Engg. & Tech., Hyderabad, India

Abstract: Electric drive vehicles are becoming an attractive subjected to the weight of lodge, its substance, and inertia
alternative to combustion engine cars with global gradual fossil forces emerging because of harshness of street surfaces and so
fuel prices rise. To meet the performance requirements of the forth (i.e. static, dynamic and cyclic loading). The stress
automobile market which is dominated by engine based vehicles,
EV’s design has to be light weight, durable and have long range. investigation is critical as it will assist us with analyzing the
Chassis of the vehicle has considerable weight apart from most extreme load that can be connected on the vehicle. The
batteries. A light weight and optimised design of chassis has been load point is therefore imperative with the goal that the
developed without compromising on adequate stiffness and mounting of the segments like motor/batteries, suspension,
strength. Various materials have been considered and evaluated. transmission and more can be resolved and improved.
With the advancement of CAD & CAE tools design process has
been simplified and virtual validation of the design can be carried
out. Chassis is modelled in Solidworks, Finite Element modelling 2. Baseline design of electric vehicle chassis
(meshing) is carried out in Ansys Workbench and analysed using Existing electric vehicle chassis structure is reverse
Ansys Solver. engineered by using tools like rulers, vernier callipers, and laser
measurement tool. Measurements are converted into three
Keywords: Electric Vehicle, Chassis Design, Design for
Strength, CAD-Solidworks, CAE, Ansys Workbench dimensional CAD design geometry.

1. Introduction
The expanded capabilities of future engineers will help the
zap of transport implies utilized in India. The capability of jolt
is colossal, zap can enhance the air quality and create new
business openings in India. With adequate capabilities, Indian
engineers can build up claim items for neighbourhood
organizations. The items for electro-portability exits, yet are not
constrained to electrical vehicle design, fabricating, charging, Fig. 1. Baseline design of vehicle chassis
and infrastructure. Different open doors exist likewise in
administrations identified with electro-versatility, for example, 3. Modified and optimized design of electric vehicle
web search tools for charging stations, vehicle-to-vehicle Chassis structure is modified by altering the double ladder
correspondence, and other administration related smart phone chassis into single ladder chassis. Altered the arrangement of
and portability. Critical open doors exist, especially in light cross rails, side rails and battery casing. Front suspension is
weight vehicles, for example, three wheeler auto-rickshaw and made structurally strong by attaching.
bikes. Electrical vehicles are blasting in Western Countries,
California and Norway being the early connectors for the zap
of transport. Nations with vast cities and high populace
thickness have begun to think about electrical vehicles as an
answer for air quality issues in their significant cities. China has
been a trailblazer in jolting bikes utilized in substantial cities.
So also, it is likely Indian vehicles will charge in not so
distant future. Zap of electric vehicles will have significant
effect in the smart cities arranged in India. Chassis of auto is the
foundation of vehicles and incorporates the primary part
frameworks, for example, the axles, suspension and is typically Fig. 2. Modified design of vehicle chassis
 International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management 324
Volume-2, Issue-4, April-2019
www.ijresm.com | ISSN (Online): 2581-5792

V1 = W x a
= 678.89 N
V2 = Rc – V1
= 2489.92 N
V3 = Rd – V4
= 3133.07 N
V4 = wc
Fig. 3. Front Suspension of existing vehicle
= 1202.76 N

Bending Moment calculation

M1 = -wa2/2
= -77597 N-mm

M2 = -wc2/2
Fig. 4. Front Suspension of modified vehicle = -243559.60 N-mm

4. Calculations M3 = RC ((RC/2w)-a)
= 966200.98 N-mm

Calculation for Stress Generated

Maximum bending moment generated

Mmax = 966200.98 N-mm
Moment of Inertia around the X – X Axis

Fig. 5. Chassis beam calculations Ixx = bh3 –b1h13 / 12

= 316576 mm4
Length of the beam (L) = 2527.00 mm
Side bar of the chassis (a) =228 mm Section of Modules around the X – X Axis
Rear Overhang (c) =405 mm Zxx = bh3 –b1h13 / 6h
Wheel Base (b) = 2033.17mm = 7914.40 mm3
Material of the chassis, E = 200000 N/mm2
Poisson Ratio = 0.3 Stress developed on the beam
Capacity of Vehicle = 9810 N M = Mmax /z
Capacity of Vehicle with 1.25% = 12262.5 N = 122.08 N/mm2
Weight of body and differential = 2746.8 N
Total load acting on chassis = 15009.30 N 5. Finite element analysis of electric three wheeler vehicle
Load acting on the single frame = 7504.65 N chassis
Table 1
Calculation for Reaction: Dimensions of channel
S.No. Part Name Dimensions
Consider chassis of the vehicle a simply supported beam with 1 Front Mirror Rectangular Box Channel - 40 x 20 x2
uniformly distributed load. Frame mm
Load acting on entire span of the beam is 58860 N. 2 Front Dome Frame Rectangular Box Channel - 60 x 40 x2
Length of the Beam is 2527 mm. mm
3 Driver Seat 700 x 310 x 370 mm
Uniformly Distributed Load (w) is 7504.65 / 2527 = 2.97 N/mm
4 Front Suspension Ø44 mm pipe
Reaction Load at point ‘c’,
5 Loader Frame Rectangular Box Channel - 60 x 40 x2
Rc = w l (1-2c)/ 2b mm
= 3162.82 N 6 Battery Frame L Angle - 30 x 30 x 5 mm
Reaction Load at point‘d’,
RD = w l (1-2a)/ 2b
For carrying out the finite element analysis of chassis as per
= 4335.83 N
standard procedure first we need to cleanse the geometry to
Calculation for Shear Force and Bending Moment
achieve the connectivity. Procedure is followed in this section.
Shear Force calculation
Cross section of the channels used in the chassis frame are 80 x
 International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management 325
Volume-2, Issue-4, April-2019
www.ijresm.com | ISSN (Online): 2581-5792

40 x 2 mm and 60 x 40 x 2 mm. assigned as Fixed support in all the conditions.

 A Load of 10,000 N (1 tonne) applied on the carrier
Geometry Model:  A Load of 1200 N applied on front driver seat area
Electric vehicle chassis geometry is modelled in CAD  A Load of 300 N each applied on battery cases
software by reverse engineering methodology. Chassis
structure are modelled and tabulated in table 1.

Engineering Material Data:

The material used for the required chassis cross rails, side
rails are rectangular box channels with dimensions of 80 * 40 *
2 mm and 60*40*2 mm. The research was conducted to choose
the best possible material. The choice of material was limited
to steel as per SAE rules. The material was selected on the basis
Fig. 7. Load of 10,000 N (1 tonne) applied on the carrier & Point Mass of 120
of cost, availability, performance and weight of material. The kg applied on the front driver seat area
reasons for using rectangular box channel which has excellent
bending and torsional characteristics. Shows Mechanical
properties of Steel rectangular channel.

Table 2
Engineering material data
S. Structural Steel Parameters Value Units
No.
1 Density 7850 Kg/m3 Fig. 8. Front suspension and rear leaf spring eyes surface are assigned as
2 Young’s modulus 200.0 GPa fixed support in all the directions
3 Poisson’s ratio 0.3 -
4 Yield stress 250.0 MPa 6. Structural analysis results
5 Ultimate Tensile Strength 310.0 MPa
A. Initial reversed engineered chassis Results
Finite Element Model of Loader Assembly:
 Chassis frame structure are assembled with rectangular box
channels of standard sizes and are modelled shell elements.
 Bolt connections are represented as rigid elements.
 Welded joints are represented as permanent joints by
assignment of bonded contacts.
 Driver seat mass, batteries mass, loader capacity load are
modelled as lumped mass at their respective centre of
gravity points.
Fig. 9. Maximum equivalent stress was found to be 328.83 MPa

Fig. 6. Mesh Model of Reverse engineered model

 Number of Nodes 113565

 Number of elements 102945 Fig. 10. Maximum equivalent stress was found to be 328.83 MPa
 Aspect Ratio (Average) 1.0833
Equivalent stress distribution for the existing chassis during
 Jacobian Value (Average) 1.0689
the static structural analysis is given below. Maximum stress of
308 MPa is observed at the rear suspension mounting Location
Loads and Boundary Conditions
but this is because of sudden transition from mounting location
 Standard Earth Gravity (9806.6 mm/s2) is applied in
to tube the value can be ignored. It is a stress Concentration.
Gravity direction over the entire Geometry.
 Front suspension and rear leaf spring eyes surface are
 International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management 326
Volume-2, Issue-4, April-2019
www.ijresm.com | ISSN (Online): 2581-5792

Fig. 11. Maximum equivalent distribution plot near front suspension location

Fig. 15. Stress distribution at front handle location, stress has decreased in
modified Design

Fig. 12. Maximum deflection was found to be 9.21 mm

B. Modified Design chassis Results

Fig. 16. Maximum deflection was found to be 2.61 mm

Table 3
Weight reduction tabular column
S. Initial Weight of Optimized Weight of Change in
No. Loader chassis Loader chassis (kgs) weight (kgs)
(kgs)
1 118 86 32

7. Conclusion
Electric Vehicle Chassis has been developed based on the
existing model. Reverse Engineering for the existing model has
Fig. 13. Maximum equivalent stress was found to be below 240 MPa been carried out and 3D CAD model has been developed.
Analytical Calculations for h-frame chassis with loads and
boundary conditions have been performed to validate the
design. Mesh model for the chassis is prepared in Ansys
Workbench mechanical module. While geometry operations are
performed in Geometry module of Ansys workbench. Detailed
structural analysis for the Chassis has been carried out,
considering self-weight of chassis, battery weight, driver
weight, pay load and other miscellaneous weights and stress
distributions, deflections obtained on the chassis have been
reported. Design modifications and weight reductions for the
Fig. 14. Maximum equivalent stress was found to be 328.83 MPa
existing chassis have been performed and on the stress and
deflections obtained in analysis. Detailed CAD for the modified
Maximum stress of 274.46 MPa is observed on the rear side design has been prepared and structural analysis has been
of the frame as shown in the figure below. This is due to the performed. Maximum stress and deflections obtained on the
reason of rigid connections are assigned in that location, which modified chassis well within the yield of the materials used. A
makes the elements stiff resulting in higher stresses. Hence Robust chassis for an Electric three wheeler chassis has been
stress generated at joint locations are neglected and stresses at designed, analyzed and optimized.
other locations are taken in to consideration.
 International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management 327
Volume-2, Issue-4, April-2019
www.ijresm.com | ISSN (Online): 2581-5792

References [6] J Reimpell & H Stoll, The Automotive Chassis: Engineering Principles,
ARNOLD-1996.
[1] Sujatha C & V Ramamurti, Bus Vibration Study-Experimental Response [7] John Fenton, Handbook of Automotive Body Construction & Design
to Road Undulation, Int. J. Vehicle Design, Vol. 11, no. 4/5, pp 390-400, Analysis, Professional Engineering Publishing-1998.
1990. [8] John Fenton, Handbook of Automotive Body Systems Design,
[2] Johanssan & S, Eslund, Optimization of Vehicle Dynamics in Truck by Professional Engineering Publishing-1998.
use of Full Vehicle FE Models, I. Mech.E.- C466/016/93, pp 181- [9] John Fenton, Handbook of Automotive Powertrains Chassis Design,
193,1993 Professional Engineering Publication.
[3] H J Beermann, English translation by Guy Tidbury, The Analysis of [10] T. R. Chandupatla, A D Belegundu, Introduction to Finite Element in
Commercial Vehicle Structures, Verlag TUV Rheinland GmbH Koln- Engineering, PHI-2000.
1989. [11] V. Ramamurti, Computer Aided Mechanical Design & Analysis, Tata
[4] Thomas D Gillespie, Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics, SAE 1999. McGraw Hills-2000.
[5] J Reimpell & H Stoll, The Automotive Chassis: Engineering Principles, [12] Charles E Knight, Jr., The Finite Element Method in Mechanical Design,
SAE-2000. PWS-KENT Publishing Company-1997.